A Mikumi Safari over Christmas and New Year: Dates, Prices and When to Book

Why is 24 December – 4 January different for a Mikumi day trip?

In these twelve days most of Zanzibar’s visitors want their big day out at the same time. A safari day trip depends on a small number of light-aircraft seats, and that number cannot grow to meet demand.

Three things combine:

• Zanzibar is full. The fortnight from Christmas to New Year is one of the island’s busiest periods. Many hotels add minimum stays, festive rates and compulsory gala dinners on 24 and 31 December.
• The planes are small and shared. A Mikumi day trip flies in a light aircraft, on a scheduled hop or a shared charter, and day-trip operators pool their guests onto the same planes. Once the morning plane is full, there is no second bus.
• Everyone has the same idea on the same days. Guests who arrive just before Christmas and leave just after New Year all want their safari in the same short window. Activity calendars fill unevenly: 26 to 30 December goes first, while 25 December and 1 January stay quieter.

What this means for you: in early December you can often book a week ahead. For the festive fortnight, treat the safari like a New Year’s Eve dinner reservation and book it when you book the hotel.

Do Mikumi tours and flights run on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and 1 January?

Yes. The park is open, Zanzibar’s airport works through the holidays, and operators list the festive dates. Each operator depends on its own plane, though, so confirm your exact date on the booking page before you plan around it.

What to check before you pay:

1. The operator’s live calendar on GetYourGuide or Viator. A bookable date means the operator has listed it; “on request” means they still need to find plane seats.
2. Whether the flight is shared or private. On a shared departure, a quiet day can be merged with another or moved. The operator of Mikumi Day Safari from Zanzibar with Flights & Lunch reserves the right to change departure times or carrier for operational, weather or safety reasons.
3. Public-holiday knock-on effects. Banks and some shops close on 25 and 26 December and 1 January, so get cash for tips beforehand.

How much does a Mikumi day safari cost at Christmas and New Year?

The same as the rest of the season on the listings we track: from $430 per person for a shared fly-in day trip. The camps inside the park charge a festive premium from 24 December to 4 January.

Day-trip prices on the listings we track

A private vehicle costs more; our guide to private vs shared day trips explains what the extra buys.

Festive surcharges? The day-trip listings checked in October 2026 showed none. Two cautions:

• Discounts may not last. Some listings show promotional prices in the autumn. Do not expect them to hold for 28 December.
• Operators can reprice. Light-aircraft seats are tight at peak, so an operator can raise the price of unsold festive dates. Book a price you are happy with instead of waiting for a deal.

Lodge prices if you stay overnight: the festive premium is real

At both camps the festive rate is $25 per person per night above the rate either side, the same as their July to October peak. Park and concession fees are extra.

Our verdict on price: at Christmas the day trip is the better value, because it costs the same as in November while hotels and lodges charge their highest rates. If you want to stay overnight, the camps’ premium is small next to Zanzibar’s festive hotel rates. Our cost breakdown covers what the headline price includes.

How far ahead should you book a Christmas or New Year safari from Zanzibar?

For 24 December to 4 January, book by early November. For a private trip or a family of five or more, book by October, because you need several seats on the same small plane.

Booking timeline (for a trip on 26 to 30 December)

Private charter option: if the shared seats are gone, ask operators about a plane of your own. It costs much more, but for a group of five to ten sharing the cost it can make sense, and on peak dates it is sometimes the only way to get the day you want. Our guide to booking a Mikumi safari covers the rest of the booking process.

Which days should you avoid? (New Year’s morning and your last two nights)

Do not book the morning after a big New Year’s Eve, and do not book within two nights of your international flight home.

• 1 January after a late night. Pickups are often around 05:00. If you are at a Kendwa beach party until after midnight, you will sleep through the elephants. Our pick: 2 or 3 January instead.
• Your last 48 hours. Light-aircraft schedules can change because of weather or operations. Beach & Safari Holidays, whose day trip sells on GetYourGuide, recommends returning to Zanzibar no later than two nights before your international departure from the island. A rescheduled safari is a nuisance; a missed flight home in the festive season, with every seat sold, is far worse.
• The day you land. A long-haul arrival followed by a 04:30 alarm is a bad combination, especially with children.

A pattern that works for a 10-night festive stay: arrive 22 December, beach days, Mikumi on 26 or 28 December, New Year’s Eve on the island, fly home 2 January. It keeps two buffer nights before your flight and leaves 1 January free for a lie-in.

What is the weather like in Mikumi in December?

Hot, humid and green. December is the warmest month of the year at Morogoro, with an average high of 33°C and nights around 22°C. Short afternoon thunderstorms are common, all-day rain is unusual, and the morning game drive is usually dry.

December climate: the sources disagree, and here’s why

Why the numbers differ: the sources use different methods (station records, satellite models, interpolation) and count a rainy day differently; some count any measurable drizzle, others a threshold. December is also when the short rains are still settling in, and some years they start late. Plan on somewhere between about 80 and 140 mm over the month, with a fair chance of a storm on any given afternoon.

What it means on the day:

• Morning drives are usually bright and steamy, with the best light before about 10:00.
• Storm clouds often build after lunch. A pop-up roof keeps you dry, and the skies make good photographs.
• Tracks on the Mkata floodplain can get muddy, and your guide may avoid low-lying loops. If the trip is called off, the flight conditions are a likelier cause than the park itself.

And on Zanzibar in December?

Zanzibar in late December is hot, with about 12 rainy days in the month on the island. The short rains usually ease in the second half of December. In practice you are trading a hot beach day for a hot safari day, not escaping bad weather.

What wildlife and birds will you see in December?

December is green season. Expect elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, wildebeest, impalas and hippos, and often lions, plus young animals and the best birding of the year. The grass is taller than in the dry season, so leopards and other cats are harder to spot.

• Elephants come back. Aqua-Firma’s Mikumi guide notes that “elephants are common, especially in December and January after the short rains, when they tend to move into the area from the Selous Reserve.” Mikumi borders Nyerere National Park, the former Selous, and wildlife moves between the two. Our comparison of Mikumi and Nyerere for a day trip covers the other park.
• Young animals. New grass brings calving and foaling among the plains game: zebra foals, impala lambs and young wildebeest. That makes December a good month for families with children.
• Birding at its best. SafariBookings records more than 400 species in Mikumi, and the Palearctic migrants from Europe and Asia arrive in November and stay until April. Birding is best from November to February. Look for European bee-eaters and rollers alongside residents such as lilac-breasted rollers, bateleurs, yellow-throated longclaws and hamerkops at the hippo pool.
• The trade-off. Animals spread out once water is everywhere, and tall grass hides predators. Lions are often seen on the Mkata floodplain, but nothing is guaranteed in about six hours in the park.

Who December suits: families, first-time safari-goers, photographers who like green landscapes and stormy skies, and birders. Who should pick another month: anyone who must see big cats on their only safari day. In that case, consider an overnight stay or a dry-season visit between June and October; is the day trip worth it? helps you weigh it up.

Is a Mikumi day trip good for kids over the holidays?

Yes, for children of about 6 and up who can manage a 04:30 alarm and a long day. Younger children can go on many listings, with infants on a parent’s lap, but they rarely enjoy it.

Our family tips:

• Book a private vehicle. It costs more but lets you set your own pace, with snack stops and the option to leave a sighting early.
• Bring ear protection for under-5s on the small plane, plus motion-sickness tablets for older children.
• Go on Boxing Day, not Christmas Day, so Christmas morning stays at the hotel.
• Tell the operator your children’s ages when you book. Aircraft weight calculations and seat rules depend on them.

Our guide to a Mikumi day safari with children has the full detail.

What are the best alternatives to the festive peak (early December and early January)?

If your dates are flexible, 1 to 20 December and 5 to 20 January give you the same green-season wildlife with easier availability and lower Zanzibar hotel rates.

For the month before, see our guide to Mikumi in November.

Can you spend Christmas in the bush instead? (Overnight options)

Yes. Turn the day trip into a one- or two-night stay at a camp in the park, and Christmas becomes a sundowner over a waterhole instead of a gala buffet.

• Stanley’s Kopje sits on a rocky hill above the Mkata floodplain and a waterhole, with 12 tents. Its 2026/27 rate table runs through the festive weeks.
• Vuma Hills Tented Camp has 16 tents on a hillside with views over the plains.
• Wellworth Mikumi Wildlife Lodge, in the Kikoboga area about 20 minutes from the airstrip, has 48 rooms overlooking a waterhole and advertises boma and poolside dinners.

Festive dinners: the camps’ published rates do not list Christmas-dinner supplements the way Zanzibar beach hotels do, so ask when you book what they plan for the night. An overnight also adds an afternoon and a morning drive, which raises your chances with lions and leopards. If you would rather have the travel arranged for you, the three-day ferry-and-train safari with a Maasai village visit starts at $570 with two lodge nights, rated 4.97/5 from 26 reviews. We compare the options in one day or two?

Can you do Mikumi from Dar es Salaam over the holidays (by SGR train)?

Yes, and it is the cheaper way in. The SGR electric train runs from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro in roughly 1 hour 40 minutes on the express, and the regulator LATRA set the standard-class adult fare at TZS 13,000, with children at half price.

• From Morogoro it is a road transfer of two to two and a half hours into Mikumi, so you arrive in time for lunch at a lodge.
• Holiday caution: many Tanzanians travel home over Christmas and New Year, so trains around 23 and 24 December and 1 and 2 January are likely to be busy. Book tickets as early as the booking system allows. This is our reading of the holiday travel pattern; the railway does not publish passenger loads.
• From Zanzibar this means a ferry to Dar es Salaam first, so it works as a two- or three-day trip, not a day trip. The Mikumi 3-Day Safari from Zanzibar by Ferry and SGR Train costs from $700 and is rated 4.95/5, though from only 16 reviews.

Flying vs driving to Mikumi compares the two routes in full.

Practical details for a festive Mikumi day trip

What’s included in a typical day trip?

Most listings include hotel pickup and drop-off on Zanzibar, return flights, the park entry fee, a 4x4 game drive with an English-speaking guide, lunch as a bush picnic or at a lodge, and drinking water. Usually not included: tips, the government inbound insurance, drinks beyond water, and your own travel insurance. Check whether the park fee is included or payable on the day.

Typical day timings

See our hour-by-hour itinerary and pickup times by beach area for more.

Park fees: what’s actually charged?

Tanzania National Parks charges non-resident adults $30 a day to enter Mikumi and children $10, and on every listing on this site those fees are already in the tour price. TANAPA’s own web pages give different figures and do not agree on whether VAT is included, and a 15% yearly rise from 2026/27 reported by one fee guide does not appear in a published TANAPA tariff. If your price leaves the fee out, ask the operator for the amount in writing. Fees are paid electronically, not in cash at the gate. How Mikumi National Park works has more on the park.

New mandatory travel insurance (from 1 October 2026)

Every foreign visitor now needs Tanzania’s government inbound travel insurance, at $44 per adult and valid for up to 92 days, and one policy is enough for the whole trip. Buy it for your first port of entry: from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC) if you land in Zanzibar, from the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) if you land on the mainland.

• Legal basis: the mainland rule is Government Notice No. 256 of 2026, in force from 1 October 2026. Zanzibar’s own scheme has applied since 1 October 2024.
• One policy, both sides: NIC says a visitor whose first point of entry is Zanzibar and who holds valid cover there can travel on to the mainland without buying the mandatory insurance again. The UK Foreign Office agrees: “You only need to buy insurance for your first port of entry, either mainland Tanzania or Zanzibar.”
• Children: ZIC charges $22 for children aged 3 to 17. NIC’s portal is the place to check its child rates.
• Keep it handy: official guidance on same-day mainland visits is thin, and nothing suggests a day trip needs a second policy, but keep your certificate on your phone.
• It is not proper travel insurance. It does not cover trip cancellation or missed flights, so keep your own policy too. Our guide to Zanzibar and Tanzania insurance rules explains the difference.

Weather cancellations and refunds

The GetYourGuide and Viator listings on this site offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Where the operator cancels for weather, they typically offer a different date or a full refund. Watch out for:

• Resellers with stricter terms. Some local operators use a sliding scale of refunds, and at least one excursion reseller sells the trip as non-refundable.
• Festive rebooking risk. A different date only helps if a seat exists, which is one more reason to go early in your stay, not on your last day.

See what happens if weather cancels your flight for the scenarios.

Is the Kikoboga (Mikumi) airstrip safe? About the 2023 incidents

On 28 November 2023, two Embraer EMB-120 turboprops had separate landing-gear accidents at Kikoboga on the same day. Nobody was reported injured in either, and day trips have continued since.

• 5H-MJH (Unity Air Zanzibar) reported a gear problem on approach from Zanzibar. Its main gear collapsed on landing and it left the runway, with 30 passengers and 3 crew on board.
• 5H-FLM (Sindbard Air), departing for Zanzibar about six hours later, had its nose gear collapse on the take-off run, and the aircraft struck an airfield building.

Our take: these were serious incidents, and it is sensible to ask the operator which airline and aircraft type will fly you. A bush airstrip in the rainy season deserves respect. If it worries you, the twin-engine day safari names its aircraft in its itinerary, and the overnight trip by ferry and SGR train avoids the flight altogether. Our guide to flying to Mikumi by light aircraft covers the planes.

Malaria

Mikumi is a malaria area, and December is mosquito season. Talk to your doctor about prophylaxis, wear long sleeves for the dawn start, and use repellent. See our malaria advice for Mikumi.

Packing for a December day trip

• Light, neutral-coloured long sleeves and trousers, against sun, tsetse flies and mosquitoes
• A packable rain shell, which you will want in December
• Sunhat, sunglasses and SPF 50
• Binoculars, one pair each if you can; birders, this is your month
• A camera with a zoom lens, plus a dry bag for storms
• Your passport, for domestic flight check-in, and a screenshot of your insurance certificate
• A small backpack, because soft bags suit light aircraft with weight and space limits
• Motion-sickness tablets for the small plane

The full list is on our what to pack page.

Festive tipping and cash

Tips for your driver-guide are extra and optional, and they are not in the tour price. Tip in small notes, US dollars or shillings, at the end of the day, and if your guide is working on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day it is a kind gesture to round up. Banks close on the public holidays of 25 and 26 December and 1 January, so withdraw cash on 23 or 31 December.

Christmas and New Year events on Zanzibar to plan around

• Christmas Eve and Christmas Day gala dinners at many resorts, some compulsory and paid in advance. Do not book a safari for an evening you have already paid a gala for.
• New Year’s Eve beach parties in Kendwa and Nungwi, with DJs, live music and fireworks, plus rooftop and waterfront parties in Stone Town.
• Zanzibar Revolution Day, 12 January 2027: a public holiday with official celebrations. Tours still run.

FAQ: Christmas and New Year Mikumi safaris from Zanzibar

Is Mikumi National Park open on Christmas Day? Yes. Mikumi is open every day of the year, including 25 December and 1 January, and day trips from Zanzibar run on public holidays.

Can I do a safari day trip from Zanzibar in December? Yes. Fly-in day trips to Mikumi run all through December, with shared trips from $430 per person on the listings we track.

Are Mikumi day trips more expensive over Christmas and New Year? Not on the listings checked in October 2026. The camps inside the park charge $25 more per person per night between 24 December and 4 January, and Zanzibar hotels charge their peak rates.

How far in advance should I book a New Year safari from Zanzibar? By early November for shared trips, and by October for private trips or larger families. Seats on the small planes are the limit.

What is the best day for a Christmas safari from Zanzibar? Boxing Day (26 December) or 2 to 3 January. Avoid 1 January if you are celebrating New Year’s Eve, and avoid your last two nights before flying home.

Does it rain in Mikumi in December? Yes, it is the short rains. Morogoro, the nearest weather station, averages 91 mm over about 7 rainy days, mostly as afternoon thunderstorms, and mornings are usually fine.

Will I see animals in December? Yes. Elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes and hippos are reliable, lions are often seen, and December brings young animals, migrant birds and elephants moving in from the Selous.

Do I need the new Tanzania travel insurance for a Mikumi day trip from Zanzibar? You need one government inbound policy to enter Tanzania. If you bought it from ZIC when you arrived in Zanzibar, NIC says you can travel to the mainland without buying again.

How much is the Mikumi park fee for children? $10 per child under the current tariff, normally already in the day-trip price.

Can young children join a Mikumi day trip? Many listings accept infants and toddlers, but the 04:30 start and long day suit children of about 6 and older best.

What happens if my flight to Mikumi is cancelled for weather? Most operators offer another date or a full refund. Book early in your stay so a new date is still possible.

How we checked this guide: day-trip prices and ratings come from the GetYourGuide and Viator listings this site tracks; camp rates from the published 2026/27 rate tables for the Foxes camps; the park fee from the figure on Tanzania National Parks’ tariff used across this site; the insurance rules from NIC, the Tanzanian embassy notice and the UK Foreign Office; holiday dates from the 2026/27 calendar; climate from the Morogoro station averages, Climate-data.org, Sunheron, Weather Spark and SafariBookings; wildlife notes from Aqua-Firma and SafariBookings; the airstrip incidents from aviation news reports; and the SGR fare from LATRA as reported by The Citizen. Prices change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.

Ready to lock in a festive date? Every safari we list carries free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Compare them all.